Non-cash rewards and more frequent recognition are attractive alternatives to the traditional, year-end practice of handing out cash bonuses, giving CEOs a new way to say “thank you” and reward top talent.

The worst publicity the business aviation industry has ever received occurred on November 18, 2008, when CEOs from the Big Three automakers flew into Washington, D.C. using private jets to ask the U.S. Senate for a $25 billion taxpayer bailout package. With the country teetering on the verge of financial collapse, the CEOs’ seemingly lavish airborne arrival was excoriated in the media as tone-deaf, and an unflattering association with CEO excess was born.

From wedding toasts to celebrity roasts, we’ve all had the misfortune of sitting through an uninspiring speech or presentation at someone else’s event. To avoid that unhappy scenario at your retreat, steer clear of sub-par, garden-variety motivational speakers and focus on blue-chip personalities and deep thinkers. It goes without saying that exclusive speakers command higher fees; expect to pay upward ...

Convention and Visitors Bureaus can be a great resource for do-it-yourself retreat planners. If you’ve homed in on a particular area for your retreat and need to know your options, the local Conventions and Visitors Bureau (CVB) can offer you free guidance, including: Information on the kinds of hotels and venues in their destination Guidance on the desirability of your ...

Related reads: What an Outside Facilitator Can Do For You Find the Right Motivational Speaker Going It Alone Chief Executive’s Choice Hotels & Resorts Of all the responsibilities you might typically associate with being a CEO, planning an executive retreat isn’t one they teach you about in business school. However, a recent survey of CEOs conducted as part of Chief ...

No matter how hands-on you usually like to be as a business leader, in the case of running meetings at a retreat, it’s often best to hand the reins to a pro. You’ll still set the goals, the agenda, the rules and the tone for the retreat; your outside facilitator will simply bring your vision to fruition. For an investment ...